Welcome to the Lyttelton Arts Factory

Lyttelton Arts Factory (LAF) is a fully-equipped black box theatre in Lyttelton, Christchurch. It provides a blank canvas for creating theatre and for teaching the performing arts.

LAF's vision is to be a dedicated space where practitioners of the performing arts can devise, rehearse, and present original works in one place.

LAF is the direct successor the the iconic Lyttelton venue The Loons. Under artistic director Mike Friend, the Loons venue and the Loons Circus Theatre Company had become major players in the local and national theatre scene. Then the venue was lost to the earthquakes of 2011.

On the back of the Loons' popularity a major fund-raising intiative brought in about $500,000 to establish the Lyttelton Arts Factory. Since opening in June 2016 LAF has resumed our commitment to Christchurch theatre. We have presented theatre seasons to over 10,000 people and taught over 130 students each year, ranging from year 1 – adults.

In addition to creating and staging new New Zealand theatre, LAF’s signature Cabarets and Quiz nights, born out of the heady days of The Loons, continue to delight Christchurch audiences who love the spectacle and comic entertainment.

Lyttelton Arts Factory is a Not For Profit Trust overseen by The Loons Theatre Trust Board.